Life on the Neverside
by isobeljones2000
Summary: (A Wizards vs Aliens fanfiction) Life on the Neverside is harsh and difficult to survive. This story looks at Lexi's experience so far from her home in the stars and how she copes. Will Nekross intellect find a way to survive? Based on the episode 'The Thirteenth Floor'. There will be Lexi/Tom.
1. Chapter 1

_Authors Note - Disclaimer: These characters belong to Russell T Davies, not me (sadly) Hope you enjoy this brand new fanfiction_!

The first night was the worst.

Lying on her back staring up at the ceiling, exploring with her eyes the unfamiliar grooves and marks above her, before realizing that she was no longer confined to the limited movement her armour would normally allow her and could curl up on her side instead, cat-like. Lexi - she couldn't bear to think of herself as Lucy - found it strangely comforting to rest her head on her arms, with her eyes closed tight, trying to imagine that she was at home.

But of course this wasn't home, and she was no longer Nekross. The foul magic of this place had transformed her from proud princess of Royal Nekron bloodline to this ... vile human scum. Every time she remembered this it was as if her heart seemed to drop into a bottomless chasm, as if there was no way back. But of course there would be a way back. As soon as they left the realm of magic she would be returned to her former self, Nekross, as she should be. That was the hope she clutched onto, possibly what would keep her going if... if they were there for longer than scheduled. Lexi couldn't help but gulp slightly at the thought of staying here for - how long? Months - years? She thrust that unwelcome thought out of her mind, swallowing her fears and turning onto her back to banish the ideas.

Everything was unfamiliar here: the dimly flickering light from the various candles around the room compared to the harsh unwavering blue light that dominated everywhere on the Nekross ship; the smell of the left over meat still steaming by the fire in the middle of the room. Lexi shuddered at the thought of the meat now sitting in her stomach, all the slimy fat and bits of gristle that she had consumed. How could humans willingly eat that stuff? She longed for the smooth revitalizing taste of magic to once again fill her body with warmth and happiness. But even when she had been back home - only a day ago though it felt much longer - it never lasted long, and the Nekross hungered ever more. It had been too long since she had properly had magic, too long since she had felt full. There was always that gnawing harsh feeling in the depths of her body - hunger. Maybe it was that hunger that spurred her on to do such terrible things to wizards every day, to deaden her emotions of pity for the prey and just do it. Nekross culture was rigid and there was no room for too much emotion. Maybe that was why she liked the human race, she enjoyed learning about all their rituals and variety in culture. Nekross never had that same feeling for her.

'But you're not Nekross any more, are you Lucy?' whispered a cruel little voice inside Lexi's mind. Lexi found that she was shaking, maybe from the shock and realization of what she had become. She pulled the thin ragged sheet that she currently lay under up over her shoulders, trying to stop the convulsing of her limbs. Eventually she passed into a troubled sleep, curled up into a ball underneath the sheet.

_I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of this Wizards vs Aliens fanfiction. If there's any fans out there, please comment for more chapters of this. Thanks! Izzy_


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors Note - Disclaimer: If I owned Wizards vs Aliens, do you really think I'd be writing about it on fan fiction_?

The first rays of sunlight crept into the shack, dappling it with broken spots of light. Lexi woke, disoriented at first and having to take a moment to recall her surroundings. Outside she could hear distant birdsong and a constant rustling of undergrowth. It was light enough to make out the silhouettes of primitive furniture: poorly crafted chairs, a dilapidated table and a spit over the smouldering fire, the embers still smoking slightly. There was a smoky smell in the room from the cooked meat on the spit. Lexi tried to breathe slowly through her mouth, trying not to gag at the unfamiliar smells that dominated her senses. Although Nekross had highly refined and stronger senses than humans, they also were able to block out nasty scents. Humans had no such feature, so every smell was acrid and over powering here.

Across the room from her, where Tom had slept last night, she could see only empty sheets. She fought the urge to call his name, needing any company right now, and instead swung her legs out of bed. Her trainers were soft and weak, Lexi guessed they wouldn't last long. And the clothes she wore - what was their purpose? They were liable to rip on every second branch. Nekross armour was made to last. Stop thinking about Nekross, Lexi, she told herself, feeling a lump in her throat.

Lexi stood up, nearly falling over again. Without the rigid armour to keep her straight and upright it was very hard to stay standing tall. She supposed she'd get the hang of it. She had always admired human culture and ritual, and indeed would spend many hours studying up on the Nekross ship, eagerly discovering more and more about what appeared to be an exciting, yet meaningless life. What would that be like, to just live life without purpose? Without having to hunt to survive? But there were certain things about the human body that seemed to serve no purpose. Hair, for instance, like she had mentioned to Tom yesterday. She fingered her own, Tom had cheerfully informed her that it was blond. Lexi found herself brushing it out with her slender fingers, still marvelling at the smoothness of her human skin.

"Lexi?" Tom stood in the doorway, looking at her in confusion. Lexi was standing in the middle of the cabin, fingering her hair. She immediately stood up straighter, smiling and acting like nothing had happened.

"Hello Tom. Did you, er -" What did humans talk about in the mornings? What was the end of the sentence that had automatically slipped out of her mouth?

"Have a good sleep?" Tom prompted her, smiling. Lexi nodded gratefully.

"Yes. That. Did you?"

Tom smiled ruefully. At least Lexi assumed the expression on his face was rueful, she wasn't great at reading human expressions yet. "It was all right. I kept waking up, thinking I was at home."

Lexi knew what that felt like. But her home couldn't be further from this - place, there were almost no similarities at all.

"Yes." Lexi stopped speaking, feeling a lump in her throat again and feeling confused. Did that serve any purpose? Tom seemed to understand, as he nodded at her and left the shack. Lexi was left trying to figure out what everything meant. Being human was hard work.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Wizards vs Aliens, because Lexi wouldn't be human right now and away from Tom if I was in control :(_

Lexi stepped outside, blinking in the bright sunlight. She could see the faint shimmer of Tom's magical border around the shack and couldn't help smiling. It was so beautiful. She knew magic was beautiful before, of course, it sustained their entire planet. But she had never had chance to properly reflect on the aesthetic qualities of it. Tom was sitting cross legged on the ground trying to make some kind of - thing with sticks? By the sun's position Lexi guessed it was around ten in the morning.

Should she actually go up to him? They were sworn enemies of course, so the logical answer would be no. But Lexi was human. Or Lexi's body was human at least, and she desperately felt the need to speak to someone. She would find Varg today, obviously, so she wouldn't have to stay with the wizard for long, but even so should she say goodbye?

Tom made the decision for her, when he looked around and saw her standing there. "You're up, then." Lexi could tell he was hesitant about what they should do around each other. Just yesterday Lexi had been pointing a gun at his head.

"Yeah." There was a silence, then Lexi added: "I'm going to go and search for Varg."

"Okay." Tom looked worried - for her or himself? Lexi found it difficult to read his face. She turned to leave.

"Good luck," Tom said. Lexi didn't turn around, but she did hear him and her mouth stretched in a smile unbidden by her. Were human emotions always so - impulsive?

Lexi headed into the forest, passing the border with ease. She assumed only magical creatures couldn't pass through it, but as she was Unenchanted as Tom put it, she wasn't stopped by the barrier. The last thing she saw before the undergrowth enclosed her view of the shack was Tom smiling in her direction.

Lexi searched through the trees for hours, calling her brother's name repeatedly until her new human throat ached and her voice was beginning to go croaky. There was no response. It was late afternoon sometimes when Lexi realised Varg couldn't be in that area as he would have called her. But what if he was hurt? As Tom had said, Varg had arrived last night - how long could that have been in this cursed land?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Disclaimer - I really really really wish I owned Wizards Vs Aliens - but I don't. Bummer._

When Lexi returned back through the trees, Tom was where she had left him, still fiddling with sticks on the ground. She debated whether to just walk past him but her curiosity took over and she called to him.

"May I ask what you're attempting to make?" Tom glanced up, his expression annoyed.

"Well I was trying to make a bow and arrows..." he said. "But they didn't go very well."

Lexi shook her head, walking over to him and crouching down, forgetting momentarily that he was her enemy. "You'll never get anywhere by doing that. Let me." She took the sticks out of Tom's unresisting hands and began to twist them automatically, cutting a slot in one and feeding it through the other stick. Her nimble hands were even more quick in human form, without the armoured gloves hindering her progress. In barely more than five minutes she had crafted a bow easily. She handed it back to Tom who looked over it, impressed. "There you go."

"That was - that was amazing! How did you know how to do that?"

"I've been making bows since I was four, on Nekron. We hunt, you see." Lexi wondered why on Nekron she was telling a wizard all this but her treacherous mouth continued on babbling. "I used to make them all the time, before - well -" Before they started travelling the skies. Before they started destroying galaxies and planets. Before they extracted the magic out of innocent wizards. "Before we had - guns," she finished weakly.

Tom nodded, looking over the bow before handing it back to Lexi. "Here you go, you can have it. I don't actually know how to use it anyway. In fact, I'm not even sure why I started making one." Lexi felt like laughing, but tried to stop herself. They were enemies. She took the bow, testing its suppleness and weight. It was a good bow, like the ones she used to use when she went hunting as a child. Far too long ago.

"I'll make some arrows to go with it." Lexi took some longer sticks from the ground, and began to sharpen one with a stone. Tom, instead of getting up, stayed sitting there, just watching. It was slightly unnerving.

"Any luck finding Varg?" he asked after a moment. Lexi flashed him a look, to check whether he expected an answer.

"Obviously no. I wouldn't be here sitting next to you if I had found him, would I?" Tom looked suddenly hurt, and Lexi wondered what she had said. "Erm, I mean, no." Maybe she had been too sharp with the young wizard.

"Are you going to hunt?" Tom asked suddenly, after a long silence. Lexi considered it.

"I thought you didn't want to hurt magical creatures. Your wizard code or something?" Lexi asked quizzically. Tom looked embarrassed slightly but muttered something under his breath.

"We do what we have to survive," it sounded like. Well that was true, Lexi thought, smiling a sad smile. To her surprise she felt water in her eyes and blinked it away angrily. What was with these human emotions? More unpredictable than the Spring Worms of the Glades of Sigk! She had hunted them with Varg... if only he was here.


	5. Chapter 5

**Life on the Neverside - Chapter Five**

Disclaimer: Oh, the things I would do if I owned Wizards vs Aliens! [insert evil laughter here] But sadly, it is not to be.

Lexi sat on a rock by the campfire, toasting a piece of the wretched meat on a stick at arms length, trying not to grimace at the scents coming off it in curling smoke. Tom had helped light the fire, then had been oddly silent, gazing up at the stars wistfully. She shared the sky view, wondering at the expanse of glittering orbs of light covering the blackness. Lexi didn't want to break the silence, even though something in her desperately wanted to speak, just to make human contact. Was this why the humans seemed to have their infernal chatter all the time?

"When I was a kid, my gran told me that when wizards passed on, they turned into stars, keeping watch on those they'd left behind," Tom said unexpectedly. His voice was quiet and wistful.

Lexi looked at him, her brow furrowing as she frowned, trying to work this out. "No. Stars are luminous spheres of thermonuclear plasma," she corrected, looking up at the sky again. The stars were very bright tonight. She guessed she wasn't used to seeing them from Earth.

Tom gave her a slightly exasperated look. "It was her way of making me feel better about my mum." Lexi had no idea why he was sharing this with her, but said nothing. After a short silence between them Tom shook his head and looked up at her, adding: "Haven't quite got the hang of being human yet, have you, Lexi?"

Lexi considered this. No, she hadn't. Even after all her researching and data she had collected on the intricate planet beneath her, the many nights she had spent learning and finding out new thing about Earth - she knew she would never actually get used to actually being human. Her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own as her peculiarly chatty voice continued his conversation. "Not even sure I had the hang of being Nekross**.**" Lexi was different from the rest, she knew it. She strategized and planned, her wit and clever mind her key skill. Nekross like Varg were more common, the violent ones who led with their head. "It's hard, being seventeen."

Tom was evidently visibly surprised at this as he turned his head quickly to hers. "Hang on, you're seventeen?" Lexi felt defensive and tried to backtrack.

"In Nekross years," she added, flashing him a glance and knowing that Tom wouldn't understand the concept of their differences in year duration.

Tom paused, trying to process this new information. "That's practically the same age as me," he told her. Lexi gazed back up at the stars; she and the wizard were around the same age. She was shocked when Tom added another sentence. "I thought you were older."

Lexi's head swivelled around to glare at him and he changed his speech hurriedly. "I mean because you were so tall."

Lexi couldn't help but smile at the way he didn't want to offend her. "All children of the Royal Line of Nekron are tall." Talking about children immediately made her think of Varg and Lexi sighed softly. "Tomorrow I'll carry on looking for Varg. What's left of him." It was the first time she'd voiced her fears and Lexi internally cursed herself for inviting in those thoughts. Of course Varg would be all right. And he would have survived on the raw magic of this place. Easily. Tom was looking at her sympathetically and Lexi kept her gaze focused on the stars. Somewhere up there was Nekron. Somewhere up there was the Zarantulus. Somewhere up there was home.

There was a roar from deep in the forest and Lexi looked around cautiously, her eyes widening as she registered the dark and what may be out there. Tom was looking around as well, looking scared. He made to get to his feet, but the roar died away and Tom settled back down. It was a moment before he looked back at her. There was another short silence before he said tentatively: "Yeah, of course." He was looking down at the fire, unable to meet her eyes. "Then, I'll help you."

Lexi's head swivelled around to look at him again for the second time, and she felt surprised and shocked. "But I'm your enemy," she protested, not quite knowing why.

Tom's voice was certain now and he answered straight away. "Not any more."

Lexi felt herself smiling at him and she knew that they weren't enemies now. Not exactly friends either, not yet, but they weren't trying to kill each other. That was always good. They sat together in a companionable silence, watching as the light died around them and the forest noises grew louder in the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Authors Note) Disclaimer: I don't want to own Wizards vs Aliens. Honestly. I don't secretly have dreams about what I would do if I did own it. Nope. _

Tom was walking very loudly, Lexi thought. Every step he made seemed to crack a few twigs under his feet and he didn't seem to hear it or try to walk quietly. She didn't want to jeopardize their already tenuous relationship by challenging him, despite the fact they were sworn enemies. Now she was technically biologically human, Tom could harm her with magic. Not that she thought he would, but spending the next few weeks with someone who hated you wouldn't be fun. Let alone - gulp - years.

Tom had made good on his promise to help her search for Varg. And, not that Lexi would ever admit it, searching with Tom was a lot better than searching alone by herself. She wasn't a superstitious person - Nekross didn't have fears - but there was just something about the forest that gave her the creeps.

Tom gave a loud cough, frightening away several birds in the trees above. Lexi rolled her eyes in exasperation. If they were hunting right now, they would be going hungry that night. Lexi was carrying her bow and arrows tied to her back, but that was just a precaution. It felt right somehow, holding a bow again. Nekross technology like ray guns and teleports were all well and good, but Lexi sometimes missed hunting like the old days. Just her and her brother, hunting with bow tensed and arrows ready, stalking through the forest. It was sport of a kind.

"Any sign of Varg yet?" Tom asked loudly in her direction.

"No," answered Lexi monotonously. She wasn't in the mood to talk at the moment.

"Do you think -"

"I am not one to make uneducated assumptions," cut in Lexi tersely.

Tom fell silent, following her through the trees. Lexi looked around quickly, hearing something, a rustle in the undergrowth, that wasn't natural. There was just bushes in her view.

"Varg?" she asked quietly to the bush. The bush, being a bush, didn't give much indication of anyone's presence.

"I don't think it's -" said Tom.

"I know! I know, all right?" Lexi cut in again, loudly. Louder than she had intended, actually. "I know it's not Varg. I know he's probably been here a hundred years already and his bones are lying in a ditch somewhere. I know I'm stupid to think we'll find him and we'll just go home, just like that."

"Lexi -" started Tom for the third time, but Lexi was in no mood to let him finish. She heard the rustle again in the bush and pulled back an arrow, shooting quickly into the bush without looking. An odd type of bird fell out of the undergrowth. It appeared to have three legs and a large beak with goggly eyes. Tom was staring at it, his eyes wide. But Lexi wasn't really concentrating on her kill, despite the fact it was the first hunt she had done for six years.

"Whoa," Tom said in apparent shock.

"Look, not Varg," said Lexi bitterly. "You were right. Clever wizard, you got it right."

"Lexi, please -" begun Tom for the fourth time.

But Lexi was already walking away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Life on the Neverside - Chapter Seven**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Tom, or Lexi, or Varg, or Benny Junior, or Jathro (though I wish I did)_

Tom found Lexi curled up on her bed, her knees held close to her chest. She was staring aimlessly at the wall, her expression hard and cold.

'Lexi?" Tom asked softly.

The Nekross sighed heavily before speaking. "M'fine. Sorry I lashed out at you before."

Tom was evidently slightly taken aback by her apology, that seemed fairly sincere. "Um - it's okay. We all have bad days."

"Guess that's true," agreed Lexi quietly.

"I got the three legged bird you caught," ventured Tom.

"Thanks. It's been a long time since I've hunted properly."

"It was a good shot," said Tom.

Lexi felt an odd feeling. She very rarely got compliments, so one was quite welcome here. "Thanks."

"It's all right." By the Ringed Moons of Nekron, this was awkward.

Tom was the one who broke the uneasy silence once more. "Do you want to go looking for Varg again, or -"

"No. Leave it till tomorrow." Lexi found enough willpower to flash a small terse smile at Tom, which he returned with his own crooked one.

"Okay." A silence. "You sure you're alright?"

"I told you, I'm fine," assured Lexi, trying desperately not to think of Varg lying somewhere in a ditch. The mental image refused to leave her mind. How long had they been here now? Three days in all? How long had Varg been here then?

"You want to help cook the three legged bird? I can get the fire going," Tom asked, sensing it was time to change the subject.

"Give me a minute," Lexi requested.

Tom gave a slight nod before leaving the hut. Lexi was thankful for that, she just needed a little time alone. She had always been with Varg on the Zarantulus, they worked together and got along on the whole. Even back on Nekron in the old days they had always spent time together, learning to hunt together. Just not knowing whether he was alive or dead, or whether he needed her help was difficult for Lexi. Just not being in her own body was difficult for Lexi. Who even was she any more? Not a Princess of Nekron, not really Lexi at all. Not really Lucy either. A fabrication. A lie, conquered up by this realm.

But she had Tom. She wasn't completely alone in this place. And Tom, for whatever reason, seemed to be forgiving her for what she had done in the past. He claimed they weren't enemies any more.

Did Lexi secretly, deep down, want that? Want them to not be enemies, but friends? To get along instead of try to kill each other? Her brother would call it blasphemy. But Varg wasn't here, was he? Lexi was free in this world. A different person, sure, but freer than she had been for a long time.

She might as well take advantage of that while she could.


	8. Chapter 8

**Life On The Neverside - Chapter 8**

_Disclaimer: I'm working on getting the rights to Wizards Vs Aliens, honestly. But until that happy day, I have to admit I don't own anything I write about._

The fire was going strong by the time Lexi had washed her face clean of all residue of tears ten minutes later, but Tom was nowhere to be seen.

"Tom?" Lexi enquired to the silence. Crackling from the fire was the only thing that answered her. "Tom?"

Oh God. Where was he? She had only left him for ten minutes or so. What if - what if that monster had got him? That Neverside monster? What if he had left the safety of the magical barrier and the creature had got him? Or some other terrible creature?

Then she'd be alone in a place she didn't understand.

And Tom would be gone.

"Tom!" she shouted, louder now, growing frantic, desperate. "Tom!"

Oh fiery rings of Nekron, he couldn't be dead. Or lost, lost in the depths of the Neverside. Lexi ran to the edge of the magical barrier, feeling the slight pressure it offered before pushing one hand through. She had to go and find him. No matter of the danger.

Lexi took a deep breath before beginning to step through the barrier of magic.

Until a hand grabbed hers and pulled her back sharply, yanking her swiftly backwards. She spun and it was Tom, unharmed, alive.

"Tom!?"

"Lexi?" Tom looked befuddled for a moment as Lexi stared at him, her eyes wide.

"Tom! You're - you're not dead!"

"Er - no. Why would I be?" Tom asked in complete bewilderment.

"You disappeared. You weren't at the fire, I thought you had -" Lexi couldn't complete her sentence. What was wrong with her?

"Didn't know you cared, Lexi," Tom smiled, and Lexi had to smile as well as she remembered him saying the same thing when they were captured by Gaunt.

"Don't be stupid, wizard. Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh really?" Tom asked sceptically.

Lexi shook her head. "No. Not really."

Before Tom could figure this out Lexi decided to change the subject quickly. "So where did you go?"

Tom smiled and took her hand. Lexi was shocked by this sudden contact and was struggling not to flush red. Stupid human emotions. At least no one could tell when she was blushing in her Nekross body. "Come on. I got something to show you."


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N) Disclaimer: I don't own the Wizards Vs Aliens universe or any of the characters in it, obviously. I do, however, own this disclaimer. They can't take that from me._

Lexi let herself be pulled along by Tom, half because she was tired - this place seemed to sap her energy so quickly - half because secretly, deep down, she did enjoy the contact of his smooth palm on her new soft skin. They were heading south, Lexi knew, but what Tom wanted to show her was so far unknown. He was good at keeping secrets, Tom. Lexi supposed it was because he had to keep the secret of being a wizard and what he did outside school from everyone.

"Are we there yet?" she found herself asking, just to break the silence.

Tom grinned back at her. "You sound like my gran on long car journeys."

Lexi made a face and a disgruntled snort. "Oh, thanks."

Tom laughed lightly, and continued pulling her along. "Nearly there. Only a few metres."

Still all Lexi could see was trees. But she could hear a curious sound, sort of swishing and whispering quietly. She voiced this to Tom, who just smiled secretly to himself and pulled her through a large mass of undergrowth, moving it aside for her so she could duck under the large boughs.

And on the other side was a river.

It was quite narrow but deep enough, Lexi could see. The water was cool as she dipped a hand in and enjoyed the pleasurable sensation of it lapping around her fingers. There wasn't much time to enjoy Earth water on the Zarantulus. Tom looked quite proud of himself with the discovery. On the riverbank was a wet flapping fish.

"You caught that?" Lexi asked in interest.

Tom nodded. "My dad taught me to fish a while back. I was never great at it but I'm not too bad now."

"It could be useful," Lexi contemplated with a small smile.

"Fish are good roasted," Tom agreed. "And I'm sure fish and three legged birds will make a good combination."

"We hope," added Lexi, attempting to pick up the fish. It was large and plump and very slippery, as it turned out.

"The fish here are big! Better than we have at home in the lakes," Tom said, watching with barely concealed amusement at Lexi's attempts to pick up the wriggling fish. Lexi grunted in response, trying to get a better grip on the slippery scales of the animal and succeeding only in making it jump up in her hands, resulting in a mad chase to catch it. Tom was chuckling, Lexi knew. And she hated being laughed at.

"Tom!" she said in exasperation, half pleading. Tom rolled his eyes and took the fish, grabbing it just behind the head and holding tight as Lexi washed her hands in the river. "Fish are stupid," she muttered.

"Fish might keep us alive," Tom corrected.

"Well I'll leave that fun job to you," Lexi told him. "Fishing seems to be much more your thing."

"True that," Tom agreed. A moment's silence. Then the boy grinned again. "But it was funny seeing you trying to grab hold of a slimy fish."

Lexi huffed. "It was not funny... you're laughing at me! Stop laughing at me!"

But Tom was chuckling despite himself, the mental image obviously stuck in his head. Now it was Lexi's turn to roll her eyes and stalk past him, muttering under her breath: "Stupid wizard teenagers thinking they're so funny..."

But later she would admit to Tom it had been pretty funny.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I'm too tired to give a disclaimer. It's time to confess my great secret. I am Russell T Davies._

_Honestly._

_Sort of. _

* * *

><p>Day eleven.<p>

Too long in this place, Lexi thought. Watching the sun rise each dawn and watching it set every dusk was a new experience for her, and not an unpleasant one, she had to admit, but she would give a thousand sunrises to be back home. Although they were very pretty. And gave her a reason to sit next to Tom and do nothing for a little while. Not that she enjoyed it that much.

She was watching one of these very sunrises that moment when she sensed Tom sitting down nearby and looked around to see the teenage boy. His hair was slightly tousled and his eyes bleary, but he was smiling slightly as he looked at the rays of light creeping over the trees, dappling the ground that they sat on with light.

"Bet you never got up this early when you were back home," Lexi joked.

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Good morning to you too. You're in a good mood, I see."

"When am I ever in a bad mood?" Lexi asked quizzically.

Tom pretended to think. "Oh, I don't know, about 80% of the time?"

"Oy!" Lexi shoved him lightly by way of retaliation - at least she thought she shoved him lightly enough. The grimace of pain on the boy's face proved otherwise. "I'm never in that much of a bad mood. Not in the mornings, anyway."

"Guess that's just me, then." Tom looked gloomy.

"Hey, what's up with you?" Lexi asked.

Tom shook his head, as if awakening from a slumber. "Nothing."

"Your body language and tone suggest otherwise," Lexi reprimanded.

Tom sighed. "It's nothing. Nothing that you'd understand, anyway."

"Try me."

"You're not human."

Lexi put on a hurt expression. "Technically, at the moment I am."

"Not human enough, then." Tom gave another sigh.

Lexi felt curious, and decided to try and guess. "You're homesick?"

"Obviously," Tom answered. "But not quite."

"Had a bad dream?"

"I've got used to the nightmares."

"Um..." Lexi thought about it for a moment. "You're - hormonal?"

"Lexi!" Tom turned to look at her, half embarrassed, half annoyed.

Lexi shrugged. "What? You're a teenager, forced to get up at the crack of dawn to reinforce the magical barriers. Plus you're stuck here, with your enemy, without your family, friends or phone. I would be surprised if you weren't feeling a little hormonal."

"Lexi! Stop!" Tom shoved her lightly with a grimace of embarrassment, which Lexi barely felt. But she had achieved her goal, which was to see that tiny smile creep up onto Tom's lips. She pointed it out with a smug grin.

"See? You're smiling now, which means you're happier."

Tom laughed at her triumphant expression, slinging an arm around Lexi's neck briefly and giving her a half hug. "Thanks. I guess you're more human than I thought. Maybe."

"You're not going back to sleep?" Lexi asked, trying not to show how pleased she was at the compliment.

Tom shook his head, getting up to his feet and bouncing slightly on his soles. "Nah. No point now, is there? Let's start the day. Maybe some fishing? Or hunting, for you?"

Lexi shrugged and smiled. "Maybe - we could stay here. Just a little while. I mean, the sunrise doesn't last forever."

Tom smiled wider and sat down again, a little closer to her this time. Lexi could feel the warmth of his side seeping through to her skin. It felt nice. "Sure. Why not."

And they sat and watched the sunrise together, without another word. But they didn't really need to speak. The silence between them was warm, comfortable almost.

Lexi could almost feel like she was happy.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N) Disclaimer: I only own the concept of this story outline, plus the vague characterisations I may have given any of the characters, plus my own tiredness. Got it? Good.

_Lexi was sprinting at full speed through the woods, narrowly avoiding trees in her flight. All she knew is that she had to get away, she had to get away fast. She stumbled over rocks, kept running, feeling the burn in her limbs and the adrenaline pounding a steady beat in her head, reverberating throughout her entire body._

_The creature was after her._

_She didn't know where Tom was, and she didn't know where Varg was, and she didn't know where she was, or where the monster was, or where the safety of the magical barrier around their home was that would protect her from the monsters._

_Growls behind her, close now. Close enough to hear the breaths of the creature. Lexi stumbled again; fear gave her strength to push her exhausted body faster, harder, through the trees, away from the creature. _

_Where was Tom? He said he'd protect her from the creatures, he said he'd keep her safe from the dangers of the Neverside. Or had he taken her seriously when she had insisted she didn't need his help, back when they had first arrived? Had he been lying all this time, waiting for the right moment to abandon her and let her be eaten?_

_Oh God, she didn't want to die. Not like this. Not here._

_A low guttural snarl right behind her. Lexi didn't look back at it, she knew from training that her body would automatically freeze up in rigid fear if she allowed herself to get one glimpse of the monster. _

_Then, as she stumbled over the seemingly endless branches obstructing her route, she fell, tumbling head first into a lower area, half a metre lower than the path._

_And came face to face with the wide glassy eyes of her brother - lying dead in the ditch._

_Lexi screamed._

Nightmare. Just a nightmare.

Lexi sat bolt upright in the bed, shaking with terror and shock. The nightmares had been taking her over for the last few nights, but this had to be the worst yet. A combination of her fears about the unknown in the Neverside, and the presumed fate of her brother. And the fact that he would blame her for what he had suffered. If only she had been more diligent, had paid more attention, hadn't wasted all that time, had beamed straight down to help him when his communications were cut. If only she had been able to save him.

At least this time she hadn't screamed out loud in real life. She had done that the last couple of nights, and although Tom had assured her that it was fine, it was completely okay, everyone had nightmares and you couldn't control them, Lexi still resented the idea of bothering him with her ... psychological issues. Nightmares were weaknesses, and she would combat them like she did any foe, with care and precision.

But could you fight your own mind?

Lexi didn't stop shaking the entire night. She didn't get a lot of sleep, either.


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I am not profiting from this story one bit; I am not receiving payment other than occasional biscuits when I get hungry. Reviews are my only reward :)_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Varg,<em>

_You'd be laughing at me right now if you knew I was writing this. I can almost see the scornful look on your face as you look over my research, dismissing it as unnecessary and frivolous. You always thought going straight in without a clearly formulated plan was the best form of attack._

_Maybe that's why you didn't survive this._

_I know you didn't survive this. It's only logical, and to try telling myself otherwise any longer would be needless and illogical. I know the truth. Even if I don't wish to see it sometimes._

_If I had been a little more careful with my checks, a little more focused when I sent you in to investigate, would you have escaped this fate? Would I? I only wish I knew where your body was, so I could give you, my brother, a proper Nekross send off. To release you to hunt with our ancestors, forever. _

_Will you be able to in this world, in this mysterious world so different to our own? Tom talks about stars in the sky, are you among them tonight? Even though that is an entirely illogical concept which is utterly false. But it is a nice notion, don't you think, brother?_

_You would have said no at this point. You never were one for idealisms; you saw them pointless and meaningless. Maybe I did too, back in that world. But sometimes I realise I no longer know what Lexi, Nekross princess, would think about some of the things I see here. That world is slipping further and further away. I write to you to keep you alive, although it serves no purpose as you will never read it. _

_Sometimes I only see what Lexi, human girl and Neverside inhabitant sees. It's odd being human, Varg. Odd waking up every morning with the sun on my skin and the breeze blowing through my hair. Strange with all these quirky notions and ideas that are so different to our rigid way of life. I find myself thinking unfamiliar thoughts sometimes, Varg, and sometimes it scares me. _

_Sometimes I enjoy them._

_Sometimes I prefer this way of life to my own - the Nekross way._

_Is that so bad?_

_Lexi_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Varg,<em>

_Tom hasn't read these. You hated Tom, didn't you? The very idea that I am trapped here, with him, would have repulsed you to no end. You persistently called him a halfling, even when I told you that humans called their halflings children. Now I'm a halfling too. Just another pesky human._

_I don't know what Tom would think if he knew I was writing these. For some reason I think he would understand. Humans write diaries, after all. He told me that a few days ago; that's sort of what gave me the idea for this. He suggested I write my feelings down, but I don't want to write to myself. I'm left alone in my head all day, I don't want to write down that incessant inner monologue. It's much easier to write to you, especially when you can't speak back._

_It helps with the guilt. And missing you, Varg. I miss you, even the annoying parts. It sounds soppy and stupid now I've written it down, but it's the truth. _

_But at the same time, I'm slightly glad you're not here. It's freeing. I can do what I want, for the first time ever, without you or Father looking disapprovingly across my shoulder._

_Oh God, that sounds awful. _

_What am I turning into, brother?_

_Lexi_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Varg,<em>

_I think I love him, you know._

_Maybe it's because he's the only other one here, and if it was anyone else maybe I'd feel the same way, but he just seems to make everything so much easier to bear. _

_He taught me how to be human. He helped me cope with suddenly being a completely different species with different thoughts and actions. It's bizarre, how different but yet so similar we are to Nekross._

_Tom may not feel the same way, but I can't help it._

_Forgive me, Varg._

_Lexi_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Varg,<em>

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry I let you die._

_Lexi_


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer) I only own my own illogical concepts that Tom and Lexi still somehow inexplicably love each other, even though Tom has made no effort whatsoever to find his aforementioned love of his life *growls*_

_So no, I don't own WvA._

_A/N) Here's a familiar scene for y'all now ... the fluffy bit. Remember? I'm only going to say two words... Texi kiss. Yeah. That scene. I thought it was appropriate to do it on Chapter Thirteen for obvious reasons. :D I'll do my best. Hope you enjoy!_

Instinctively Lexi knew something was wrong.

Her body was covered with thin brown cotton sheets on the bed that she had been using since they got here, and she knew her hair was tousled and her clothes were creased and crumpled from sleeping in them. The calls of the birds filled her ears. Her eyes shot open, as they so often did in the early morning, and it was only a second before she sat up straight in the bed, the first word out of her mouth being: "Tom?" Her cracked voice sounded weak and plaintive, and she cursed herself for sounding so needy.

It turned out she had been right, though. She was the sole inhabitant of the hut; Tom was nowhere to be seen.

She checked around briefly, but Tom's bleary eyes and long dramatic yawn failed to greet her as they did some mornings.

Where was he?

She wasted no time in leaping out of bed - she was suddenly very glad she slept in her clothes - grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows from where they stood propped against the wooden panels of the wall and racing outside, calling Tom's name again as she reached the brightness of outside that so differed to the dull darkness inside the hut.

Frantically she looked around for the younger wizard, panicked thoughts racing through her sleepy mind. _What if he's left you, Lexi?_ The truth was that Lexi had begun to - care for the wizard, much as her morals prevented it. _What if he found the way out and decided to leave you here, alone, unguarded?_ That would certainly cancel out the threat of the Nekross against wizards, that was for sure. _But would Tom do that to you?_ She was fairly sure he wouldn't.

Her questions were answered in one as she heard the telltale sound of magic being performed which she had come to notice and enjoy. To the left of the hut Tom was standing, his face screwed up in concentration and his hand raised in the air as he cast the spell. As he murmured the magical words (marsh shan dah!) a flood of magic suddenly erupted from his fingertips and travelled swiftly around what they had come to think of as their border. Lexi couldn't help a peaceful smile as it came to her face; magic was so beautiful. Now she could appreciate it for its aesthetic qualities rather than just its taste, it was a welcome change. As Tom finished the spell, the magical wall faded and only a faint glimmer revealed its presence. They were safe again.

As Tom walked towards her she reprimanded him while still gazing up at the magic that surrounded them. "I didn't know where you were!" _Or whether you had left me,_ her brain added silently.

"I was reinforcing the border like every sunrise," Tom explained as he reached her side, following her gaze up to the magic that gleamed in the morning sunrise. Lexi knew she should have known that, but some things were just too difficult to get used to. "Takes up most of my magic." There was a pause as Tom's eyes scanned her, then Tom continued, gesturing with a hand to her bow and arrows, sounding slightly amused. "You hunting already?"

Lexi huffed, giving him a look then moving away to put her bow down on the bench against the house. "I thought you might be in danger."

Tom followed her, casually leaning against the house and sounding vaguely affronted. "I _can_ look after myself!"

"No, you'd starve without me," was the prompt adamant answer.

"Oh, you think?" Tom challenged.

Lexi made sure her bow was securely on the bench then straightened up to meet his eyes. "Who's caught the most three-legged birds since we've been here?"

"I've caught more fish," Tom answered immediately.

A sunny smile came to Lexi's face. "Fishing's for old men and _boys_," she teased with a smile.

Tom knew her attitude towards fishing and grinned too, before impulsively reaching out and taking her hand; the slight pressure sent tingles through her nerves and she didn't pull away. Somehow it no longer felt wrong, forbidden to hold Tom's hand. It felt somehow right, comforting. Like their hands were meant to be linked. "Got something to show you," he said mysteriously, leading Lexi by the hand over to a tiny tree planted in the ground, obviously by hand. Lexi's battered heart leapt to think that Tom might have done this for her. When they were stood looking down at the sapling, Tom's gaze turned to her, his expression hopeful. "What do you think?"

"What is it?" Lexi replied, her smile evident in her voice.

"It's an apple tree."

"Apples?" There was a tiny pause, and Tom could feel an almost imperceptible change in the mood around them. Then Lexi continued, her voice slightly more guarded now. "And how long will it take for them to grow?"

"Er..." Tom contemplated this, wanting to say the right thing to maintain their easy friendship for now. "A couple of years, maybe?"

As soon as he looked up and saw the look in Lexi's eyes he knew he had said the wrong thing. "Years?" she repeated, as though tasting the words for the first time on her tongue. "Tom, you crazy? I don't want to be here years. I want to go home!" And she lowered her gaze and stormed away, back into the cabin. Tom's heart seemed to drop into a chasm as he knew he had hurt her. And while before, he would have relished getting one over on their foes, now it just seemed wrong. He knew how Lexi felt. How young they both were, in reality, despite the fact they'd both had to grow up fast in a short space of time. Wars did that to you. And reminding her that they could be here years, trapped in time, was definitely not a good move.

Tom looked briefly back down at the apple tree that he had so proudly planted early that morning. It seemed stupid now, propped up on its little clump of earth, waving its tendrils in the morning breeze. Years, it seemed to whisper. Years. Years.

Reluctantly he looked back at the cabin and stepped towards it, each step feeling heavy and dragging on the ground. The peaceful, easy feeling of this morning was gone. Instead of going in straight away, trying to buy some time he instead went to their tally chart, consisting of a long piece of cotton and a scrap of charcoal. He scraped a thin diagonal line through the four vertical ones, connecting them up, and mentally counted the tally in his head. _35 days._ 35 days they had been here now, just over a month, with no sign of rescue or anything. No wonder they were both on their last tether.

It was painfully obvious that Lexi had been crying when he stepped through the cabin entrance. She was chewing half-heartedly on a berry of some description, which she threw down with a pained intake of breath when she sensed Tom's presence in the room. And when she spoke, her voice was heavy and hopeless. "Look at me. A Nekross in a human body, eating berries and apples like something that lives up a tree!" She was fighting the temptation to cry; Tom could see her furious attempts at blinking back tears as he crouched down next to her, as close as he dared.

"It's survival, Lexi," Tom told her. "I thought that was - the Nekross thing to do."

"Varg didn't survive," Lexi replied softly. "We searched and searched and not even found his bones!" Her voice rose to a high crescendo. "I've let him down, I've let my father down, I've let my whole planet down."

Tom wasted no time on arguing with her. "You haven't let anyone down, Lexi. You just ... miss him." Lexi wasn't looking at him, and he didn't know what she was thinking. "I miss everyone too. My gran, my dad, and Benny. But they'll find us one day, I know it."

"Don't you think I tell myself that every day?!" Lexi finally turned to face him and her blue eyes were red rimmed and tortured. "And now I'm leaking water!" She rubbed her eyes with one clenched fist and sniffed to try and dispel the tears, which wasn't a tremendously successful attempt.

Tom took her hand with both of his, prompting a wondering and confused look from the Nekross girl. "You're crying, Lexi. It's okay to cry. I've cried. When you've not been around." Lexi's eyes finally met his, widening slightly in realisation with this honest confession and he continued. "When I've felt alone - and scared."

"Why are you kind to me?" Lexi demanded softly. "The Nekross - we - me - I've done terrible things to wizards. To you."

"That wasn't you," Tom insisted. "Not the Lexi I know now. Not the Lexi I always knew was in there."

Lexi made a conscious decision in a split second and firmly pressed her lips to Tom's.

And Tom was too surprised to move or to do anything else.

The kiss only lasted for a second or two, but when Lexi pulled back, her eyes suddenly fearful, the only coherent word that would form on Tom's lips was: "Whoa."

"Sorry," Lexi immediately apologized, looking up at Tom through tear-filled eyelashes. "Isn't that what humans do when they like someone?"

The question was so innocent and so typical Lexi that Tom nearly laughed. "Well - yes."

"Well if I'm trapped, human - as a human -" A smile finally graced Lexi's tearstained face. "I'm glad it's you, Tom," she finished shyly.

Tom suddenly felt a rush of an emotion for Lexi - what was it? Affection? Pity? Love? Did he actually love the alien who had been his enemy all these years? "You know, for a Nekross - you make a great human."

Lexi smiled wider and they didn't speak again, just sitting there wondering at the knowledge that they now both contained. Could they actually make this work, in a world where no one could stop them?

Maybe they actually could.


	14. Chapter 14

_Using the prompt: 'Observe everything about the moment - tell yourself you're going to remember it three years from now.'_

Tom's arm rested lightly on Lexi's shoulder, a warm comforting presence around her neck. They were stretched out on the riverbank together, sitting on the slightly spongy moss. A makeshift fishing rod and a wicker basket half full of worms were lying discarded a little way from them; Tom had originally intended to go fishing, but Lexi had followed him and he had got a little - distracted.

"I want to remember us like this," Lexi suddenly blurted, after around five minutes of sitting there in comfortable silence. Her breath was warm against his neck as she spoke: a tickling sensation on his skin.

Her boyfriend looked at her in amusement. "Remember us? We're right here, Lexi."

"Yes, but for how long?" she told him seriously. "I want to remember everything about this moment. This one. Right here."

"When are you planning to remember it?" Tom asked, realising Lexi was serious.

Lexi thought for a moment. "Three years," she decided adamantly.

"Three years seems - kind of specific," Tom commented in amusement.

"I want to remember us, like this, in three years time," Lexi insisted. "Happy. Without having to worry about our families or the war or anything. Just us. Safe. Happy."

"Do you think we'll still be here in three years time?" Tom asked tentatively, looking out over the trickling river, avoiding Lexi's eyes. It was the first time he had breached the subject since their argument/getting-together/kissing moment. Whatever it was.

Lexi's smile faded for a moment, and Tom suddenly panicked, knowing he had said the wrong thing. It was too soon to remind Lexi of their fate, trapped in the Neverside for who knew how long.

But then she tilted her chin upwards and bravely set her jaw, meeting his eyes with her own slightly red-rimmed ones. "I don't know. But whatever circumstance we're both in, whether we're both still here or whether we've been rescued and are back home - I'm remembering how we were now. In three years time."

Tom shrugged. "No argument from me."

"I need to remember everything about this moment, Tom," Lexi said, slightly pleadingly. It was obvious how important she regarded this ritual.

"So let's see..." Tom began, deciding to help her out. "We're sitting by the river, peacefully chatting. I have my arm around you. You're smiling. Smiling much more than you normally do, actually."

Lexi tried to wipe said smile from her face but it refused to budge. "Your hair is ruffled by the wind and you keep trying to flatten it down. Obviously missing your hair gel, or whatever you humans use."

"_Us_ humans," Tom reminded her. "You're a human too."

Lexi nodded. She was still struggling not to think of herself as Nekross. _Me and us. Her and them._ Sometimes it was a difficult comparison to make.

"I was intending to go fishing but then you tackled me," Tom grinned.

Lexi huffed, vaguely affronted. "I did no such thing. I heard a noise, so I followed it, and it turned out to be you, stomping through the forest with your fishing rod and worms."

"The river's making watery noises in front of us," Tom noted.

Lexi snorted. "_Watery noises_. Very eloquent, Thomas. The trees are making _swishy noises_ above us."

"That too," Tom concurred.

Lexi smiled softly. "But the biggest thing I want to remember is that we're here, in love."

"We're in love?" Tom asked in surprise.

Lexi's expression changed to the familiar deer-in-headlights expression. "Is that not the right thing to say?"

"It's exactly the right thing to say," Tom assured her, unable to wipe off a soppy smile from his own face.

"So in three years time, we're both remembering how we were now," Lexi said decisively.

"Deal," Tom promised. "Even though I never plan to forget."

His girlfriend smiled softly, pressing a light kiss to his cheek, and neither said any more. They were both silently observing everything about the moment, storing it away for future memories.

For three years time, to remember how they were now.


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: Do you really think I would have killed Jathro off if I was in control of this show?_

And of course, it wasn't perfect. Of course it wasn't. They were both too stubborn and far too opinionated to ever fully get along, and Lexi had lost count of all the times either she or Tom had woken up grumpy, and had minor arguments all day. Coupled with her stupid human hormones and Tom's hatred of early mornings, it wasn't a great combination.

But then there were days like today, when Tom had woken her up with a light kiss and brought her some hot herbal drink (they had had to do quite a lot of experimenting with foods and flavours recently). Along with Tom's beloved fishing and Lexi's expert hunting, they did quite well for themselves. The tiny apple tree sapling was growing every day, and Lexi had helped Tom plant some more around what they both now thought of as their little house. Not home yet, not quite, but it was getting that way.

Lexi found that she was slowly getting used to waking with blond hair snaking in smooth strands around her face in the mornings. It was growing from her original crew cut against her skull, and it was now about at chin-length. It was slightly annoying having it at that length, but Tom had said he had liked it on several occasions. And Lexi kind of liked that. So the hair stayed long, and still growing. So was his, of course; although it wasn't quite as long as Lexi's yet, it wasn't far off. Lexi liked Tom with longer hair, even if the only reason was that there wasn't really a way to cut it properly yet.

Lexi had also called on her very dim memories of childhood at Nekron to try and make herself and Tom some new clothes. Cotton was fairly easy to make, out of woven reeds that Tom had found near the river, and various other natural materials. She was still working on a dress for herself - when was the last time she had ever worn a dress rather than her restrictive, clunky armour - and she had almost finished Tom's new shorts. They would need them, in times to come. It was getting colder, and Lexi recognised the oncoming signs of winter.

It had been months now, but Lexi had stopped Tom recording the days with a broken piece of charcoal on the frayed material. It just made them both sad, and they were both accepting now that no, they weren't going home soon. But was that really such a bad thing?

Unconsciously, Lexi knew she still looked for Varg, in every rustle of every bush, in every nook of every tree, just in case, inexplicably, he was still alive. Tom knew this, and he didn't comment. Lexi still missed her brother desperately, as he missed his family.

But Lexi didn't have the nightmares any more.

Tom helped distract her, of course, and Lexi found that sometimes she couldn't even remember the once-familiar parts of her home spaceship, which she had lived on since she was six. The forest that had at first seemed so ominous and forbidding, now seemed more like home than she could ever recall the Zarantulus feeling like. Plus she could hunt and run again, just like her childhood on Nekron. She had missed that free feeling.

Months passed. Time passed, though they both lost track of the days eventually.

It wasn't perfect, no, but it was enough.

And that was when everything changed.

_A/N) I will write another chapter of this very soon, as I know this was only really a short filler chapter, and I did leave it on a slight cliffhanger there! Can anyone guess what will make everything change? _


	16. Chapter 16

_AN) So I finally updated again, after having no ideas for this chapter for ages. Hope you enjoy it!_

_Disclaimer: I am very possibly a wizard myself, but even then I can't claim any rights to this story, sadly enough._

It was Tom who first suspected something was up.

The now twenty-nine year old Lexi had been out hunting, as she often did when the meat supplies were running low, while Tom had stayed at home, peacefully picking apples from their apple tree and singing an old Nekross song that Lexi had taught him a long while back. If you lived for nearly twelve years with someone, you got to know their habits - and more than often sing their songs as well. It probably sounded better when Lexi sung it, her native tongue folding around the tricky Nekross language much easier than he can, but no one's listening to him sing here, apart from the birds in the trees who didn't really care - and make enough noise themselves at dawn anyway, for that matter, so they could hardly complain about his singing.

A slight rustle in the undergrowth from behind him signified Lexi's return, and Tom turned to greet her cheerfully. Oddly, the woman was pulling a face as she made her way back into their clearing, her bow and sheath of arrows hanging over one shoulder, with her long blond hair tucked over the opposite one. Another odd thing was that her hands were otherwise bare; she wasn't even carrying any of their usual diet component this time of year of three-legged birds, which were basically the easiest thing to catch due to their woeful incompetence in running terribly fast, apart from in circles or tripping over each other.

"Nothing going in the woods today, Lex'?" Tom wondered aloud, noticing the apparent lack of prey she had managed to catch.

Lexi swung her long bow off her shoulder and placed it carefully, as she always did, by the wall of their home, before sitting heavily down on the bench next to it. "Not really..." she said slowly, not really elaborating, but looking troubled even so.

Something else you learn from twelve years of living with someone is when they're acting out of the ordinary, and Lexi was definitely not normally like this. Tom approached her, sitting down beside her on the seat and casually passing her an apple from the basket that he held over his arm. Lexi shook her head, declining the offer. Another unusual occurrence - she loved the apples from their apple tree. Tom still remembered the time when they had first grown ripe enough to eat for the first time, and the look of almost rapturous delight on her face still stayed with him today.

"What's up?" he asked in slight concern. She was normally a very stoic person, and when she wasn't hiding something from him she was usually fairly upbeat.

"Nothing," she was quick to reply.

Tom rolled his eyes. Typical Lexi. "And now the truth?"

Lexi smiled despite herself at his frankness, leaning slightly into his shoulder. "I just feel a bit nauseous," she admitted after a moment. "I guess it just put me off my game today. I managed to miss that squirrel by miles, and I tripped on something hidden when I was trying to creep up on a purple spotted deer."

"Maybe you're catching a cold," theorised Tom. Lexi was very rarely ill, but occasionally it had to happen. Plus Lexi always took her hunting so seriously, and any mistakes she made during her couple of hours out in the forest would usually make her grumpy, however much she would deny it later. Now she just looked tired, her characteristic tiny frown creasing her forehead in thin strands. "You are allowed to be off your game sometimes, you know. Go have a lie down. I'll go see if I can catch some fish for tea."

Lexi looked slightly less worried at Tom's confident words. "I can help you fish," she offered. "I don't feel too bad any more."

"You don't feel too bad any more because you're sitting down," pointed out Tom wisely, gesturing to the ramshackle bench that they currently shared. "It wouldn't help you getting up and wandering around again. Go lie down, Lexi. Seriously. Anyway -" a small smile alighted on his features as he leant and pressed her lips lightly to her forehead. "You still can't fish for your life, even after twelve years of me trying to teach you."

"Okay." Lexi finally agreed after considering it for a while, sharing his smile and standing up with a slight intake of breath. She didn't even pick up on his casual insult to her admittedly less-than-perfect fishing skills, so Tom knew she must be distracted.

* * *

><p>The second clue came later that evening.<p>

"Tom?"

They were sitting around their brightly burning fire finishing off the last scraps of meat from their winter stocks, their usual routine as it got dark every day. Lexi was looking at him hopefully, the remains of her meal left on the wooden place pushed away from her. Unusually, she had left nearly half of it on the plate, though he dismissed this to her possible illness.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked in slight concern. "You haven't finished your meal. Do you still feel sick?"

"I'm feeling better now," she replied straight away - her normal reply, even if it was a lie. "Just... would you mind rubbing my shoulders? I just... " She stopped, probably to try and justify her request with an explanation.

Immediately Tom moved closer to her, positioning his hands just above her shoulder blades and beginning to press his fingers gently into the muscle. "Anything for you, Lex'," he replied softly, just audible by her ear. "You don't need to ask."

Lexi sighed and he could feel some of the tension dropping from her body as she relaxed into his firm grip. "Thanks Tom," she murmured. "My shoulders were just really aching. The rest of my body too, actually, but them most of all. Maybe I was holding up the bow for too long today, or something."

"Yet you still managed to catch nothing," Tom chuckled, hiding his slight worry about her condition behind a smile, and Lexi joined him in her characteristic quiet laughter as he continued to massage her stiff shoulders by the flickering firelight.

* * *

><p>It took the third clue, early the next morning, for the penny to finally drop.<p>

Lexi woke up, yawned widely and promptly fell asleep again beside him. Tom, who had already had to get up as normal to perform the morning spell, and had been sitting there idly sharpening a few arrows that he had stacked by his bed, looked at her oddly when he realised that her breathing had returned to slow and regular breaths again. "Lexi?" he asked quietly, waiting until the girl's eyes flickered open again and she gave another long yawn.

"Oh God, I'm tired," murmured Lexi under her breath, rubbing her eyes as she slowly returned to consciousness.

"Bearing in mind you just slept for like, twelve hours, um - why?" Tom wondered aloud.

Lexi fixed her serious gaze on him, blinking away traces of sleep. "I don't know," she lamented. "I just feel really tired all the time now. Mentally as well as physically. Just - drained."

"Maybe you are coming down with something," Tom confirmed. Something hidden in the very back of his mind was politely trying to get his attention, but he ignored it.

"- And another odd thing is that yesterday I felt really randomly emotional. I haven't wanted to cry about anything for months, even when I managed to stumble into that ditch and hit my head on that stupid tree," Lexi continued obliviously. "And that was painful. Yet, suddenly, I seem to feel like crying over nothing, or running and dancing around for no apparent reason. I mean, you - _us_ humans are unpredictable at times, but surely not that unpredictable? We do have some degree of control over our feelings, after all."

_Random emotions. Exhaustion. Aching. Loss of appetite. Feeling sick_. Warning signs suddenly popped up in Tom's head, though he didn't dare to even think -

Could she be -?

Could she really be -?

"Lexi..." he said slowly, not daring to say any more.

Lexi, - who had been trying to snuggle back down into the rough linen sheets of her bed with her eyes closing comfortably - suddenly sat bolt upright in the bed, staring at Tom, the same realisation evidently jumping into her mind as him at exactly the same time. "What - you think -?" she asked, her voice low and disbelieving.

Tom's expression matched her own as he swung his legs from the sheets, getting up from bed. Lexi followed him a moment later, wincing slightly at the blast of cold air as they both stood up in the chilly cabin. "It's all the signs that I learnt about back in Year 10 PSHE," he said slowly, almost fearfully. "You were feeling sick yesterday, weren't you? And you're feeling achy, like last night, and drained all the time. And the random emotions - that's the hormones, right?"

"Actually, I've felt a bit sick a few times this week," admitted Lexi, deciding not to inquire into why Tom had remembered the early signs of pregnancy from that long ago. "Not for long or anything, and I put it down to maybe having eaten something weird early in the week."

"But all the other stuff -" Tom pointed out, his thoughts racing faster than the wind across the Neverside moors.

"I know. Is it too much of a co-incidence?"

"We can't be sure yet, obviously..."

"But maybe ..." Lexi trailed off, both of them falling abruptly silent.

"I don't really know all that much about pregnancy apart from those possible signs," Tom confessed after a moment. "I know you get weird food cravings for stuff, and feel tired a lot of the time, and you get morning sickness later on..."

Lexi made a sour face at this last piece of news. "Oh, _wonderful._"

"Oh God, I'm going to be a dad," Tom suddenly realised in shock.

"We're going to be parents," breathed Lexi, Tom's shocked features mirroring her own as they took it all in together for a long few moments.

Tom stared at her stomach almost reverently. "Is it in there?"

"Well that is traditionally where babies are grown," mused the girl. "Though I don't think staring at it will make it grow any faster."

Tom still seemed apparently unable to take his eyes off Lexi's stomach. It did make you slightly uncomfortable, having someone staring at you, and Lexi grabbed both of Tom's shoulders after an awkward few seconds, shaking him slightly. "Tom. Seriously. Chill. We have months to prepare for it."

"I'm going to be a dad," repeated Tom hauntedly.

"I'm having a human baby," Lexi pointed out. "A Nekross having a _human_ baby. And you think _you're_ unprepared for this."

"Lexi, I'm going to be a _dad_..."

_AN) This chapter had me typing into Google Search 'Early signs of pregnancy' for research. If anyone sees my search history, they might be wondering just a little... XD_


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